How driver behaviour can impact your business

18 July 2017

Driver
behaviour contributes significantly to the smooth running of a fleet, according
to a report by Fleetmatics.

Today,
the incorporation of GPS vehicle tracking technology has the ability to provide
relevant data on a driver’s behaviour when operating a vehicle. This
information is captured on the vehicles computer dashboard and can be accessed
by a fleet operator at any time.

With
reports available for each driver, team, or division over selected periods of
time, you can manage safety and performance over the long-term. This function
can help operators monitor and analyse behaviours and encourage the adoption of
a positive and safe driving style. This, if correctly embraced, can result in
many additional business benefits, Fleetmatics says. According to the report on
driving habits, some poor habits include excessive idling, speeding, fast
acceleration, harsh braking and harsh cornering.

·Majority
(87.2%)of all at-fault large truck crashes are driver related

·Speeding
is a factor in nearly 23% of all at-fault large truck crashes

·Every
hour that a vehicle spends idling is equivalent to approximately 25 miles of
driving

·Restarting
your vehicle uses no more fuel than 30 seconds of idling and has very little
harmful impacts on the vehicle

·Less
aggressive driving will lessen the wear and tear on a company’s vehicle

The reasons

According
to the report, there are a number of reasons why a driver may exhibit a poor
driving style, such as speeding or aggressive driving. Examples include leaving
a vehicle idling during a delivery or working to an unattainable schedule with
pressure to catch up on ‘lost’ time by rushing to the next appointment.

Whatever
the reason may be, companies may view it as their responsibility to ensure that
these additional pressures don’t put drivers or their vehicles at risk.

Technology

How
can your business keep track of how well your vehicles are being driven?

By
implementing a GPS vehicle tracking system that incorporates a ‘driving style’
tool, custom alerts can be set up which allow a fleet operator to measure,
manage, control and ultimately reduce these poor driving habits.

The
report says that by adopting a positive driving style strategy throughout your
fleet operations, you can help encourage your drivers to be more considerate,
which could ultimately help with the following:

Cut speeding tickets
- By
encouraging drivers to obey the given speed limits, a company can have an
impact on the chances of their drivers being served with a speeding ticket.

Accidents - By alerting drivers
to incidences of bad driving habits, such as harsh braking, aggressive
acceleration and hard cornering, a company can significantly help decrease the
chances of their drivers being involved in an accident.

Duty of care - With a GPS tracking
system, a company has data that may help them demonstrate that they have taken
sufficient measures to meet their ‘Duty of Care’ obligations, thus help reduce
the risk of liability.

Reduce operating
costs - The
operating costs of a fleet can be reduced by using less fuel. Typically, fuel
is wasted with excessive speeding and quick acceleration, as well as during
excessive idling. A company can successfully monitor and help manage any of
these driving behaviours by setting up custom alerts for each one with a GPS
vehicle tracking system.

Reduce vehicle
maintenance costs = Less
aggressive driving will lessen the wear and tear on a company’s vehicle. This
can result in lower maintenance costs and an extended life of a company’s
vehicles.

Help lower insurance
costs - Many
insurance companies offer a discount on liability premiums when their customers
proactively use GPS tracking systems to improve driver safety. This is because
they want to reward customers who manage driver safety with in-vehicle telematics
devices.

Disclaimer: The information and opinions expressed in this website and the Supply Chain Update newsletter in no way constitutes professional advice and does not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the editor and staff of Supply Chain Update or Vicenda.